Never Say Die
Flamingo Park 8th October: A maiden event over 1200m was first up in the Northern Cape on Monday and here we saw a very easy victory for the former Gauteng campaigner MISDIRECTION. Well supported at the track into 22/10 second favourite from 5/1, Cliffie Miller’s charge went straight to the front and led throughout. He was always clear and easing down late won without any anxious moments by three and a quarter.
The easiest victory in the maiden ranks on this card though was recorded by FREE TO FLY in the 1600m event. Another to find support (3/1 into 5/2), the daughter of Stagelight was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and after quickly going clear she cruised in by six.
A pinnacle stakes over 1600m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the veteran JACK DAN register his eighth career victory. An easy winner in handicap company last time out, Jack Dan was soon positioned close to the speed. He was asked to take up the running early in the home straight and kept on strongly over the final 500m to beat the in form CANNONBALL by a length and a half.
The best bet on the card for most was SPACE GIRL in the MR74 Handicap over 1200m, but unfortunately for her followers she found one better, Heavily supported into 7/10 from 14/10, the 3yo daughter of Alado attempted to make all. The winner FAYETTE meanwhile raced second and did look held going through the 300m. Under a typically determined ride from the never say die Sherman Brown though, Fayette gave her all and in what proved to be a real thriller she got up late to score by a neck.
Titbits
Lightly raced COUNTRY RUSH (6/1 into 3/1) came from the rear when winning the MR61 Handicap over 1800m going away by three and three quarters.
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Not Good
Vaal 9th October: With the penetrometer reading given as 20 and the going posted as good early morning one would have expected a good afternoon’s racing at the Vaal on Tuesday. With the ground clearly very soft if indeed not heavy when they ran the first race though the jockeys then launched a protest and the remaining seven events were all abandoned as the track was considered unsafe to continue racing. The only race that was run was a maiden plate over 1200m won by the newcomer JUNO’S DREAM. Allowed to flirt with 12/1 at one stage after opening up at 33’s, Stephen Moffatt’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the favourite DO YOU REMEMBER by two.
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Back In Form
Clairwood 10th October: Favourite backers got off to a nice start at the garden course on Wednesday when ORANGE BLOSSOM did the business in the opening maiden event over 1200m. On leaving the stalls it was TRIX OF THE TRADE who elected to make the running whilst the daughter of Miesque’s Approval raced close up in sixth. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and in what proved to be a real thriller she only held on by the narrowest of margins from her low flying stable companion SOUND OF TIGERS (33/1 out to 50/1). The runner up was having her first career outing here and looks sure to come on stacks next time.
Race three on the card was a maiden 1450m and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer WILD ONE. Trainer Jeff Freedman’s only runner at the meeting, Wild One wasn’t the quickest into stride and soon found himself positioned in the rear. Once in the long home straight though he ran on best of all and under a well judged ride from apprentice Keegan De Melo he got up late to beat the lightly raced RED ROVER by three quarters of a length.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR97 Handicap over 1000m and here it was nice to see the talented veteran JINZO find his form. Now with Garth Puller, Jinzo as per usual nowadays was slow into stride and raced in the rear for most of the journey. Once given rein though he quickened in good style and after striking the front 150m from home he easily drew clear.
A MR84 Handicap was next up and in what proved to be the fastest of the four 1200m events on the card victory here went to the top weight CRISSY SANCHEZ. Taken straight to the front by Anthony Delpech Sean Tarry’s charge led throughout. She kept on determinedly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the running on BRORA by three quarters of a length.
Titbits
Beaten just 2,05 lengths in the maiden event over 1200m, the newcomer MONEY IS GOLD was continually baulked for a run over the final 400m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (1) Success 19 Race 3: (4) King’s Silver 10 Race 4: (6) Fox River 34 Race 5: (9) Royal Charger 52 Race 6: (5) Ibiscus 86 Race 7: (5) Returnee 34 (EW) Race 8: (7) Asaal’s Magic 43 Race 9: (8) She’s Got Gears 32 Scottsville Race 1: (2) Rosie The Rebel 20 Race 2: (3) African Smile 26 (NAP**) Race 3: (1) Winds Of Noordhoek 20 Race 4: (2) Varsity Belle 55 Race 5: (13) Trimontium 36 Race 6: (7) Dylan’s Promise 50 Race 7: (7) Turning Tide 66 Race 8: (1) Latin Magic 45 Race 9: (5) Kings Gold 55 Race 10: (2) Flash Of Victory 16 Turffontein (Tues) Race 1: (4) White Whisper 21 Race 2: (11) Flight Of Eagles 19 Race 3: (15) Taptap Makhatini 25 Race 4: (12) Empyreal Song 20 Race 5: (1) Sea Shadow 45 Race 6: (2) The Hangman 74 Race 7: (4) Welwitschia 95 Race 8: (2) Smanjemanje 93 Race 9: (3) Shattered Image 48 Race 10: (2) Kimura Cat 21 Durbanville Race 1: (1) Rememberin Essence 2 Race 2: (1) Henry The Fourth 23 Race 3: (5) Ruby Sunset 28 Race 4: (6) Black Kitten 26 Race 5: (8) Lieutenantgovernor 35 (NAP**) Race 6: (1) Pink Martini 61 Race 7: (13) Lookatmenow 47 Race 8: (2) River Crossing 53 (EW) Race 9: (1) Starlight Beauty 16 Turffontein (Thur) Race 1: (9) Last Battle 1 Race 2: (15) Setfiretotherain 6 Race 3: (8) Elegant Bay 18 Race 4: (13) Funny Glory 47 Race 5: (14) Rivulet 47 Race 6: (10) Go Gold 74 Race 7: (10) King’s Destiny 80 Race 8: (7) Wollondilly 60 .
Top rated winners last week included
Beowulf won 22/1 Eye For Emeralds won 9/2 Formation won 7/2 Inca’s Spirit won 7/2 Breathless won 33/10 Fantastic Mr Fox won 33/10 Matilda’s Love won 16/10 Tight Ship won 9/10 .Notebook:-
Country Rush (J Visser, N-Cape) Sound Of Tigers (D Howells, KZN) .FASTEST TIMES
(Shown in brackets is the number of races run in each category)Flamingo Park 8th October Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) Surging Secret Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (5) Alwaysawinner Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers .
Vaal 9th October
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (1) Juno’s Dream
Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (0)No Qualifiers
Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
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Clairwood 10th October Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (6) Crissy Sanchez Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (3) Wild One Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
